Ethereal Ones (nuXCOM)
The''' Ethereal Ones''' are the aliens encountered in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. They had invaded Earth and their technology is vastly superior to Humanity’s. However, XCOM was on hand to stop them and prevent the conquest of Earth. Leaders The Uber Ethereal '''is the final boss of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. It is encountered on the bridge of the Temple Ship. The Uber Ethereal possesses all the ordinary powers of an Ethereal plus improved projectile/energy deflection and higher hit points. Destroying the Uber Ethereal destroys all nearby Ethereals. The Uber Ethereal is the head of the Alien Hive Mind on Earth, and resides within the Temple Ship. It's unknown if it is the leader of all of the aliens, or just the ones on Earth. It calls all of the subjugated races such as the Sectoids or Mutons, as failures, while seeing potential in humans. Continuously referring to "The Gift " and the ability to use it. The Uber Ethereal will be surrounded by two other regular Ethereals, and 2-4 Muton Elites. It, and the other Ethereals can easily take over your team. Long distance sniping, Double Tap and Rapid Fire (Assault) can be helpful in defeating it. '''Ethereals '''are tough mind control wielding enemies that usually spawn late game on downed or landed UFOs. They have 20 health, a movement range of 8 per action and a reflective shield that stops some projectiles, potentially even reflecting them back at their attacker. Their shield remains in place as long as the Ethereal's morale is high and can be taken down once sufficient physical injury is caused or they are attacked with psionic powers (Mindfray or Psi Panic.) Suppressing an Ethereal can also remove their shielding ability, although this isn't guaranteed. Ethereals have high resistance to psionic attacks (especially mind control) and can easily take over most non-psionic gifted soldiers, although they seem to prefer to use a hard hitting Psionic attack most of the time. Ethereals also have the ability to drain health from allied units, using it to heal themselves at the expense of their support troops. Their final ability is the summoning of a vicious psionic maelstrom with a large blast range (5 squares) and high damage potential (15).The Ethereals identify themselves as the leaders of the alien collective. It is suggested that they forced the numerous races to evolve themselves and then add them to their hive mind e.g. Sectoids genetically adapted themselves to have mind control abilities. '''Classes/Species Sectoids are the basic enemy unit of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Sectoids are weak and die quickly when facing experienced soliders, but can still be dangerous early on. They usually attack in small groups and are intelligent enough to use cover and flanking tactics. They also possess the ability to Mind merge with one another, increasing their health and combat effectiveness. Sectoids are a prolific species of genetically modified clones that look similar to the classic 'grey' aliens of urban legend. They have small, frail bodies and large heads that house a well-developed brain. They have sizeable eyes, but no visible nose, mouth or ears. While their psionic abilities are quite poor compared to those of Sectoid commanders, they can still pose a threat to rookie XCOM operatives. We've found no discernible genetic variance between any of the small humanoid aliens that have been examined thus far. They are perfect genetic copies, each and every one of them. The subject's brain is quite sizable with respect to its body, and appears to have been augmented even further with cybernetic implants of some kind. Considering the... fragile nature of this creatures physical form, it is safe to assume that these implants were intended to somehow improve the combat effectiveness of the species. Dr. Shen and the engineering team have already developed several theories as to how we might be able to adapt these implants for our own use. Additional tactical information may be available in the field when viewing hostile targets in the Unit Analysis View. Thin Man is an enemy in XCOM: Enemy Unknown that are eerily human in appearance. Thin Men are very agile, capable of covering great distances in a single turn. Able to flank opponents and use cover, Thin Men also have the unique ability to unhinge their jaws and spit poison. They appear early on in the campaign. Thin Men are unnervingly human looking aliens who apparently serve as infiltrators for the invading army. They have short black hair and wear black suits. While they might initially pass as human, their elongated bodies and unnatural flexibility betray their true nature. Closer inspection also reveals several patches of mottled green skin around their wrists and neck, and reptilian eyes hidden behind black glasses. The subject's external appearance is that of a Caucasian male. I would guess its age to be approximately 35 years old, although it’s quite likely this is an artificial effect intentionally affixed by the aliens. The specimen is roughly two meters in height, and weighs just less than 80 kilograms. Despite its outward appearance, upon dissection, the creature’s unique organ and bone structure is revealed to be distinctly alien in nature. The subject's bones are segmented, rather like the vertebrae of a serpent. This segmented structure appears to give the creature a spectacular range of motion in combat. A large portion of the specimen's thoracic cavity is devoted to enormous glands capable of producing a toxin that is then expelled via ducts with considerable force. After a thorough chemical analysis of the subject's venom, we've theorized that it could be used as a powerful disinfectant to treat our soldier’s injuries in the field. Dr. Shen is working to develop a means to integrate this into our existing Medikits for future deployment. Targeting another example of this specimen in the field using the Unit Analysis view may reveal further details about its distinctive combat abilities. A Mind Controlled Squad Member '''is a soldier that has been mind-controlled by the Sectoid Commander, or an Ethereal, to do its bidding. They possess all abilities they had before being possessed, and should be considered a severe threat. Killing them while mind-controlled will result in a unit dying. Mind Control lasts for four turns. As such a viable tactic to deal with one is to flee. The quicker method would be to isolate whatever has mind-controlled your unit and kill or stun it. The Floater', appearing in XCOM: Enemy Unknown, is a monstrous cyborg powered by a pair of twin back-mounted jets, which provides it the ability to hover, gaining a height bonus and has the ability to fly into the sky and come down behind your lines (Uses all actions and can't be Reaction Shot). The face of the Floater looks very similiar to a Muton's face.Floaters are very reminisent of the alien Borg from the Star Trek franchise or the Skynet machines of the Terminator Franchise. Like Borg, Floaters begin as organic but have been mutilated in a Frankenstin fashion to be a twisted mess. Like Terminators, their only objective is to eliminate humanity. They also resemble the Strogg from the Quake series, especially Quake 4's Scientist and Sentry enemies, who also float and have a breathing mask. As frightening and vicious as this species is on the battlefield, it is hard not to feel some sympathy for them on the dissection table. The specimen has been subjected to extensive biomedical modifications, some of which were undoubtedly quite painful and intrusive. The combination of living tissue and mechanical components gives the creature the look of a cruel, half-finished experiment. Most of the subject's internal organs have been replaced with a mechanical life support system that mimics their original functionality. A rather conventional propulsion system has been grafted onto the subjects torso, although the power cells supplying the necessary thrust are extremely advanced by our own standards. I have removed a number of neural implants from the subject that appear to aid in the evasion of incoming projectile file. The engineering team has already suggested several ways in which this technology might benefit our soldiers. You may find additional information about the combat capabilities of this species by targeting one in the field using the Unit Analysis View. The' Muton''' is a tribal warrior race with pink skin and heavy green armor in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The heavy hitters of the alien invasion, they move like giant apes and are incredibly strong. Mutons will try to strike fear into enemies by seeming to dismiss near-fatal blows. They also have the "Blood Call" ability that motivates surrounding Mutons. Never try to fight one hand-to-hand. The''' Chryssalid''' is a swift, four-legged alien with terrifying melee capabilities. Usually first encountered in small groups on Terror Missions, Chryssalids deal heavy damage and poison in melee, and any humans defeated by their attacks have an egg deposited in their bodies. This causes them to rise up as Chryssalid Zombies in the next turn, and will result in the birth of Chryssalid Hatchlings soon after. While this does apply to civilians as well, there seems to be a very small chance of this occurring if the civilian was killed off-screen. Chryssalids can cover great distances in a single turn, have enough durability to survive multiple hits from all but the heaviest guns, and ignore cover when making attacks. When facing groups of Chryssalids, you may wish to retreat to cleared territory before firing in order to create as much distance between you and the Chryssalid as possible. Also, as they carry no equipment, there is no reason for you to refrain from using explosives against them. Unlike the other aliens we've encountered thus far, it is arthropodal in nature, plated in a sleek, black exoskeleton. The "Chryssalids," as we're calling them, based on their reproductive habits, measure over three meters long from nose to tail, and stand almost two meters high when perched on their hind legs. Their attack is not only extremely deadly, but also necessary for their reproduction, as the intended victim is not immediately killed, but instead turned into what can only be described as a mindless shell, akin to a zombie, which serves as host to its offspring. When a human is bitten an embyro is injected into the host and immediately begins to gestate. Once gestation is complete, which remarkably lasts only minutes, a newborn Chryssalid will emerge, destroying its host in the process. One can only wonder why the aliens would use what appears to be a savage, unpredictable creature... in any case, this is certainly not a creature to be trifled with, and our troops would do well to exercise extreme caution when engaging this species. Targeting another example in the field through the Unit Analysis View may provide additional information as to its combat capabilities. Chryssalid Zombies or Zombies were once humans that have been ‘impregnated’ by a Chryssalid. When Chryssalid ‘impregnates’ a human, they lay a Chryssalid Egg into the chest of their victim, the egg couples itself to central nerves system of its host and take over motion control. In short period of time the Zombie will burst apart and new Chryssalid Hatchling is born. Zombies have medium health, will wander aimlessly if there are no readily available targets and slowly shamble towards anyone close by. Surprisingly powerful melee attacks will cause 6 damage on Normal and 9 on Classic with a chance to poison. Outsiders, also known as Alien Shock Troopers, are a new type of Alien that have been seen in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. These Aliens appear to be humanoid and are deployed/materialize out of glowing orange crystals. Despite being called Outsiders, they are probably another species of aliens. But, this leads to a very good question. Why are they called Outsiders? In the to be released title XCOM, the Outsiders are an ambiguous alien war force wanting to terraform earth into a planet like the "Outsiders' homeworld". They tend to hide inside shot down UFOs, wield rapid firing plasma weapons, and have the ability to turn almost invisible, with only a core crystal being visible, therefore making them much, much harder to shoot. Even though they are heavily armored, they can be killed easily. Despite appearing heavily armored Outsiders have a very small HP count. Only having as much HP as a Sectoid. The Outsiders will not give you a corpse when killed. You only need to capture it once for its Outsider Shard. Subsequent captures will only give you its weapon. The Outsider Shards cannot be sold. Once you have raided the alien base, Outsiders will disappear from the game. Sectoid Commanders (and later Ethereal) will spawn in their place. The''' Berserker is a large, melee-only alien enemy from XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The Berserker appears to be a heavily armored Muton squad leader. The Berserker has the Bull Rush ability, allowing it to charge towards its targets and obliterate anything in its path. The Berserker an especially tough Muton only using melee attacks and usually appears with normal Mutons in tow. As all Mutons, when shot it will do an Intimidate shout, causing nearby squad members to sometimes panic. They can do massive damage and will easily oneshot an underequipped soldier. As with all melee opponents, using cover is pointless. If there are no ranged enemies in sight, put as much distance between the soldiers and the Berserker as possible. If a soldier hits the Berserker, it will immediately gain a free movement action and will run towards the aggressor. Has effect of Intimidate and may cause the soldier to panic. This perk should be used against the Berserker, drawing it out in the open, into crossfire or away from squishy operatives. The Berserker is easier to kill than other advance aliens because it does not go into cover and has no ranged weapons. The Berserker carries no weapon, so you only need to capture it once for interrogation. '''Sectoid Commanders '''are powerful psionic enemies in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. They post a serious threat to XCOM soldiers due to their devestating psionic attacks. They can be found alone or in small groups and use cover and flanking tactics. A Sectoid commander is the first alien seen in the game, although you won't actually fight one until much later. Although they look similar to their weaker brethren, Sectoid commanders have larger heads covered in thick veins, and glowing red eyes. Like Sectoids, they are all genetically identical clones, but have been engineered with greater endurance and incredible mental powers. While these gifts make them far more deadly than the lower caste front line troops they command, they are still ultimately little more than subservient pawns of the Ethereals. '''Muton Elites are Mutons with heavier armor and weapons. They are the same smart, capable squad fighters you encountered in their smaller brethren upgraded with the best available equipment. As if the standard Muton hadn't given our troops enough trouble, the aliens apparently kept several of these "Elites" in waiting for the later stages of their invasion. Although they seem to have the distinct honor of serving as guards within the alien hierarchy, our autopsy of this specimen reveals little in the way of distinguishing anatomical traits versus the typical Muton. Aside from various improvements to their armor, the primary difference appears to be a slightly enhanced intelligence which makes them more effective combatants. The details surrounding this creature's specific combat capabilities should be available during future encounters by targeting one in the Unit Analysis View. The Heavy Floater is an upgraded version of the floater. The heavy floater boasts better armour and weaponry whilst maintaining the original's ability to jump around the field. This version has alien grenades so don't group your squad up. Similar in overall appearance to the Floater specimen we've previously encountered, this captive has been enhanced further with an ever more complex network of cybernetic implants. There is also a significant reduction in exposed living tissue, including the cranial region, which slowed the progression of our interrogation process. Despite these initial setbacks, we were able to gauge the captive's response to various stimuli, while also conducting a battery of tests on the propulsion systems integrated into its body. Having observed a number of subtle improvements in this specimen's augmented frame, we should be able to enhance the flight characteristics and propulsion systems of our aircraft. Technology Alien technology seems to be very advanced and have great advantage over human technology. But since some of their artifacts and weapons were seized and taken for study which leads to the advanced of human technology. The Sectopod is an extremely dangerous robotic enemy in XCOM: Enemy Unknown that usually spawns with 2-3 repair drones. It starts appearing around half way through the campaign. It is often found onboard larger alien ships. The Sectopod can attack multiple times in a single round. The Sectopod is a massive bipedal robot with a heavily armored central 'head' that houses several potent weapon systems.Although this robot is neither alive nor sentient, it is strangely self-aware of its surroundings. We're still uncovering the functional details for this "Species" but from what we've seen so far, this machine is a masterpiece of technology. Based on our initial testing, we've discover an extremely intricate program that's implanted in their macro-processors. This combat control program, combined with the Sectopods imposing ten meter frame, makes for an extremely dangerous weapon. Powered by the same energy source that fuels the alien craft, these machines wield unparalleled destructive power. Perhaps the biggest mystery is the secret of how they're being controlled. Additional information may be available in the field if another of these machines is targeted in the Unit Analysis View. Cyberdiscs are enemies that may be a spacecraft or a sentient being in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Little is known about Cyberdiscs, however it is known that they come in two forms: a flat, saucer-like form and a spider-like assault form. It is rare to see multiple Cyberdiscs together, however, Cyberdiscs will lend aid to other species such as Sectoids. A Cyberdisc is about the size of a small car, and nearly indestructable. While in disk form the Cyberdisk is much harder to hit, but you can still deal damage to it (half damage from ballistics). Recommend damaging it from afar, before it can close in on your squad. If it is sufficiently damaged, it will attempt to retreat to let the drones following it to repair, you can prevent it from moving by keeping it suppressed. Cyberdiscs also have a special move dubbed the "Death Blossom" that can wipe out entire squads. So far, we've been unable to ascertain whether this is strictly a mechanical creation or a living organism. Based on our findings, it has an alternative biochemical system based on the silicon atom. Like carbon, silicon can create molecules that are sufficiently large to carry biological information, and since silicon has several chemical properties similar to carbon, it is possible this could be a new and completely alien life form, with respect to the specimens we've already encountered. Its internal mechanisms seem to operate like organs, giving it the ability to circulate plasma through its core systems, much in the same way blood flows through our bodies. out Unit Analysis View available in the field should provide additional specifics regarding this species' various combat abilities. The Drone is a new enemy in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Drones are small floating spherical robots that are often seen hanging around Cyberdiscs and other alien machines. They are not much of a threat by themselves, but they have possess the ability to repair other machines for 2-4 damage. Drones can be captured after upgrading the Arc Thrower in the Foundry. The "drones" we've disassembled seems to have a singular purpose: to repair the alien technology, including its robotic counterparts. Although they act as robotic medics, and lack any kind of offensive weaponry, we did discover a large explosive charge is located deep within the sub-structure it draws on as a power source. With this and several of the alien devices, I continue to be amazed by what their creators have been able to accomplish. Dr. Shen believes it may be possible to "hack" these drones, allowing us to utilize them for our own purposes. Further details as to this specimen's complete combat capabilities may be available in the field if targeted in the Unit Analysis View. Tactics The aliens' tactics were mainly abducting and attacking some civilians and engaging the world's militaries during their invasion. Weapons Alien weaponry is way more advanced than human conventional weapons but some of them were captured for study, they were reverse-engineered by the humans to use their new-found weapons against the Ethereal Ones. Vehicles The alien vehicles are mostly UFO-type warships. The''' Battleship''' is an alien aircraft in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. It is the capital ship that launches Terror Missions. Massive and well armed, it never lands, but can be shot down by players. The Abductor is an alien spacecraft in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. It is encountered in UFO Landing missions and can be shot down by interceptors. The Abductor is a very large ship, and generally requires a full size squad and good tactics to assault effectively. If encountered in a UFO Landing mission, resistance can be fierce, with numerous aliens, typically mutons and floaters, occurring in significant numbers. Abductor ships found in rural landing missions are often surrounded by mutilated cattle. The Abductor has a rough T-shaped pattern to its floorplan. A large entry area/cargo bay forms the primary entrance to the ship at the base of the T, and two engine nacelles form the arms of the T. All three areas are breaching points for the ship's interior, but all three are generally guarded if the ship landed rather than being shot down. A firefight in the cargo area is not particularly costly, as there are only a few alien computer consoles to take damage. However, the peripheral engine areas each house a single UFO Power Source, whose considerable value should discourage a damaging firefight if at all possible. Both the engine areas and the cargo area lead into a double-level operations area. Flimsy but plentiful cover exists for a breaching team, while more substantial cover provided by computer consoles is available for any alien crew on the other side of the room. The lower level of the room contains Alien Stasis Tanks. All movement from one cardinal point to another is done by ramps which offer no cover, so dashing will be required. The final area of the ship, accessible through the upper level door opposite the cargo bay side, is the apparent command deck, and typically contains the commander of the ship, generally an Outsider or equivalent. The Large Scout is an alien reconnaissance craft in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Despite their small size, scout craft are not particularly fast, and even Raven Interceptors should get a decent amount of time on target -- enough to bring it down with even Avalanche Missiles. Large scout craft are encountered either in the air when detected by satellite in flight, or on the ground, either after landing or being shot down by interceptors. Large Scouts are not very durable nor heavily-armed craft, so even entry-level interceptors have a good chance of bringing one down, although they may incur significant damage in the process. Using single-use combat enhancements to improve dodge and targeting can improve a Raven's odds. Compared to other UFOs encountered in the air, Large Scouts do not take much to bring down. Avalanche missiles are adequate to the task, and better weapons will only speed the shoot-down time. Care should be taken when deploying Ravens with short-range weapons such as Laser Cannons, as the increased closing time allows the Scout to get in several good hits before the Raven is within firing range. EMP cannons can bring down Scouts very quickly, although by the time they are developed, Scouts will probably be on the decline as fielded ships. Supply Barges are large ships ostensibly used by the Ethereal Ones to land supplies and equipment. Their appearance, like the appearance of Terror Site missions indicates an escalation of the aliens' campaign tempo. Barges can be encountered as part of an interception or as a UFO Crash Site Mission or UFO Landing Site Mission. Capable of withstanding incredible punishment, intercepting a barge is difficult. They carry a substantial crew, so regardless of how a barge makes its appearance, assaulting one is a considerable task. Despite the difficulties of bringing down and assaulting a barge, the opportunity should never be passed up if at all possible; as the name implies, these ships are designed to carry supplies, and so are a treasure trove of alien equipment and materials. Barges are extremely large ships, larger even than Abductors. They are substantially divided into three sections: a forward hangar/garage area, a midships cargo deck comprised of six linked compartments, and a control area sited in the aft end. Between the foredeck and the cargo area is a small transverse hallway. Walkways run along the exteriors of the cargo area. Perhaps the most complicating layout factor is that the roof of the vessel is accessible, enabling Floaters and Cyberdiscs to drop in on an assault team without warning. While a holding team is usually found in the foredeck, the bulk of the crew is typically encountered in the cargo area, coming from the after deck. This is problematic, as the cargo area offers scant cover apart from the compartment walls -- a disadvantage as each wall also houses a UFO Flight Computer which can be easily damaged in a firefight. Category:Enemy Faction